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Don Davis

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Don Davis has been the Forum Communications Minnesota Capitol Bureau chief since 2001, covering state government and politics for two dozen newspapers in the state. Don also blogs at Capital Chatter on Areavoices.

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ST. PAUL—Almost every morning when I come to work, part of the trip is on a 10-lane-wide stretch of freeway. It is a long ways from my 4,000-population hometown in southern Iowa's rolling hills in many ways.

ST. PAUL — The 219,000 Minnesotans paid minimum wage will get a raise Jan. 1. State officials announced Thursday, Aug. 23, that employees of large businesses will be paid at least $9.86 an hour, up from $9.65 that is required today. Those who work for smaller businesses will be paid a minimum of $8.04, compared to the current $7.87.

ST. PAUL -- Jeff Johnson and Tim Walz will be Minnesotans' choices for governor this fall. "I think we sent a message, people want something different," Republican Jeff Johnson said shortly after 10 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 14, as vote counting wound down in the state primary election. Johnson said he was not for the status quo, and campaigned as the most conservative governor candidate.

ST. PAUL — The 2018 primary election is as different as it gets, with more contests than usual, late surprises and a ton of votes already cast. Republicans are attacking each other in the governor race. U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, the No. 2 official in the national Democratic Party, opted against re-election, instead running for attorney general in a crowded field. Ellison's withdrawal from the U.S. House race led to a six-person race to replace him. Last-minute allegations surfaced against Ellison and Attorney General Lori Swanson, a Democratic governor candidate.

REDWOOD FALLS, Minn.—Minnesotans are interested in the primary election. Almost triple the number of early ballots have been cast compared to two years ago. At Farmfest, southwest Minnesota's agriculture show, 1,000 seats were full, with about 600 more standing as the five major governor candidates were in the only forum to host all of them.

ST. PAUL—Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson denies allegations that an aide hired workers in her state office to do campaign work. In a Minnesota Public Radio forum Friday, Aug.10, she said the online news organization that reported the issue is "widely discredited." She said she has sued investors in the The Intercept website, adding: "When you do things like that you get a target on your back"

REDWOOD FALLS, Minn. — Political candidates brought their best "Minnesota nice" to Farmfest. But voters should not get used to that. "First time out of the chute, got to be a gentleman," state Republican Rep. Jim Newberger said after his first time on stage with opponent Democratic U.S. Sen Amy Klobuchar, seeking her third six-year term.

ST. PAUL—Minnesota Republicans should know something about their two major governor candidates in the Aug. 14 primary election. Jeff Johnson and Tim Pawlenty each has been on the statewide ballot twice. Both say they are conservatives and agree on several issues, such as tamping down the budget and changing taxes.

ST. PAUL — Minnesota is suing the maker of the best-known opioid painkiller, OxyCotin, claiming it mislead health care professionals and patients alike. "Prescription painkillers can be helpful in relieving pain when properly used and prescribed, but this company misrepresented and minimized the addictive nature of its drugs in order to sell more of them," Attorney General Lori Swanson said about Purdue Pharma on Monday, July 2.